CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
It’s late when I prepare to leave Tiernon’s quarters the next morning. Tiernon canceled the imperius training to allow the imperiums a few hours to grieve, and we spent the time in bed. I managed a quick conversation with Evren and Gerith, apologizing for “accidentally breaking” my mirror.
I won’t have them worrying more than they already do.
My new mirror is safely tucked in a drawer. I miss my brothers so much, it’s a constant ache inside me.
“I’ll have your things moved into the imperius quarters,” Tiernon murmurs as I leave.
I turn, leaning against the door. “Um.”
One dark eyebrow shoots up, and he folds his arms behind his head. “You wanted to be an imperium. Imperiums belong in the imperius quarters.”
I’m not going to win this one. “Fine.”
I hesitate, and Tiernon narrows his eyes. “What is it?”
“Neris told me that the sigilkeepers are blackmailing members of the Vampire Council with the sun.”
He sighs. “Neris has suddenly become incredibly chatty.”
I flick my eyes toward his private garden. “Did you ever go to them? I know you miss the sun.”
His words from last night echo through my head. I missed you more than I miss the sun.
“The sigilmarked can only ever give us temporary relief.” He swings his legs out of bed, crossing the room to me.
“Those vampires are fighting for something even the most powerful sigilmarked can’t give them—full access to the sun for the rest of their lives.
” He holds my gaze. “Obsessing over the things you can’t have will gradually eat away at everything you are and could be. ”
His gaze is intent, and he reaches out for me, his hand brushing my cheek. My heart leaps into my throat, and I feel the strangest urge to … weep.
Tiernon sighs, tucking my hair behind my ear. “You need to get to training.”
“Tiernon … do we need to hide this from the others?” I gesture between us.
“No. It’s not … unexpected for members of the imperius to have … dalliances with novices. But if the emperor was to learn who you really are …”
“He won’t. There’s no reason for him to look further into my background. And I’ll keep it that way.” I eye him. “Just how many dalliances have you had with novices?”
He gives me a sudden grin and my heart flips. “Arvelle Dacien. Are you … jealous?”
I roll my eyes. “This coming from the man who interrogated me about Carrick?”
He glowers at the other man’s name, but his hand caresses my face, his palm warm against my cheek.
“No dalliances. At least not here. When I was at the front … I was filled with so much rage, so much hurt. I knew I’d never see you again, and I thought if I lost myself in other women, I’d forget you. ”
It’s not unexpected. I’m not sure why I even brought this subject up. It’s like I’m picking at a scab, waiting for it to bleed. And yet I can’t seem to stop myself.
“Was one of those women Orna?”
Tiernon’s expression hardens, and I know I’m right. I wiggle free, and he sighs. “Yes. It was one night. Both of us were grieving. Orna is deeply in love with her sire. At the time, she was rebelling against him, furious at something he had done. Now, they are considering having a child together.”
My fists unclench. I didn’t expect that. “She cares about you.” And she’s seen how much Tiernon has suffered since he met me. Not just his torture when he wouldn’t tell the emperor who I was, but his fury while he was at the front, his deep need to protect me even now.
Tiernon nods, and I heave a sigh. “Well, it sounds like she is a good friend. I’m glad you have people like her in your life. I suppose I’ll just have to make her like me.”
A crooked smile. “Good luck with that.”
My heart warms, as it does each time I see a rare glimpse of that familiar grin.
I’m beginning to understand now—why he so rarely spoke of his family when we were children.
The Thorn was the one place he could be himself—unrestrained, carefree, and at ease.
As he grew older, though, he became increasingly withdrawn … even somber. And now I know why.
It was the burden of keeping me alive despite the danger his father posed. It’s the same burden he carries now, for each of his imperiums.
If his father had never learned of his trips to the Thorn, would Ti have eventually chosen to leave me? Would he have decided the threat was too great, the risk of discovery too high to justify those few precious hours of being himself with me?
Pressing a kiss to his cheek, I push that thought away to consider later.
Tiernon gives me a searching look, but I slip out of the room, moving quickly through the imperius common room and along the corridors.
I’m almost at the training hall when a shadow looms over me, and I palm a throwing knife, heart pounding.
Bran. His face has grown hollow, the skin pulling tight over his cheekbones and jaw. His skin is waxy and sallow, and I catch the tremble of his hands before he folds his arms.
He raises an eyebrow. “You killed Tiberius Cotta.”
I stare him down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I’m just a few feet from the training hall. From safety.
Bran smirks at me. “Cotta was a simpleminded fool.” His expression hardens. “But he wasn’t your target. There is no more time left to waste. The emperor is becoming more and more paranoid. So I’ve created an opportunity for you.”
“What kind of opportunity?”
“The Vallius will be attending a dinner with the Vampire Council two nights from now,” Bran says. “The imperius will also be attending as a show of force.”
“I don’t understand.”
His lips peel back from his fangs. “Let me be clear. You will take a silver blade, and you will kill the emperor when he least expects it. When he’s relaxed, unshielded, and surrounded by those he trusts.”
I stare at him. “If I kill the emperor publicly, I’ll die. Instantly.”
“Your longevity is not my problem.”
“I won’t do it. It’s a death sentence.”
“Yes. You will. Elva recently mentioned she has some friends visiting. A group of vampires who are currently happy to keep your brothers safe.”
The threat is clear, and my palms turn slick. “You’re devolving,” I say coolly. “If I were you, I’d cut back on the sun tonics.”
His expression twists into fury, and he bares his teeth with a hiss.
“Is the sun worth this, Bran?”
I gesture toward his unkempt, greasy hair, allowing my gaze to drop to his wrinkled, stained clothes. Something red is tucked possessively beneath his arm and I squint at it. A book. With gold-embossed letters.
“The sun is worth everything,” Bran says.
I was right. Bran has an addiction of his own. I’m bonded to a vampire who is slowly losing his mind. A vampire working with the rebels. My palms turn damp.
“Arvelle?” Maeva stands a few feet away, her nose wrinkled, eyebrows drawn together as she watches Bran.
I know that look. It’s her I’m-not-a-threat-I’m-just-confused look. And I have no doubt her left hand—currently hidden behind her back—is caressing the hilt of one of her knives.
Bran gives her a sickly smile. She sends a cool look his way, and he turns his attention back to me.
“You know what you need to do.” He strides away, and Maeva watches him go.
“Is he threatening you?”
“It’s complicated.”
“You need a new sponsor.”
“Yeah, well, not many people thought I’d get this far.”
“Tiberius did.”
Guilt stabs through me. I haven’t forgotten that Tiberius replaced my weapons before I fought Maximus. The parma he gave me saved my life. And in return, I took his from him.
Just as Bran is going to take mine from me if he manages to make me kill the emperor in public. My heart thunders against my rib cage, my ribs constricting until I’m suddenly pulling in deep, desperate breaths.
Two days. I have to find a less public way to kill the emperor within the next two days. Bran didn’t get to the last part of his threat. The part where he reminds me that he has my brothers.
He didn’t need to.
This is it. I need to warn Leon so he can get out of here.
“Yeah,” I say. “Let’s go, I think we’re late.”
Maeva sighs. “You can talk to me, you know.”
We step into the training hall, and Maeva sends me a wary look. The tension is thick and stifling, filled with hissed whispers. A group of sigilmarked novices are watching the vampires with barely disguised loathing, while the vampires sneer back, displaying their fangs.
“What’s going on?” I murmur.
Maeva chews on her lower lip. “The Vampire Council opened an investigation into a group of sigilmarked emissaries. The emissaries hated the vampires they served and conspired to serve sigilmarked interests instead. They were spying on the vampires, undercutting their deals, securing grants that benefited sigilmarked-owned businesses, and spreading rumors about vampires suffering from sun madness.”
I gape at her, and she shrugs. “It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. Vampires are forced to trust sigilmarked to further their interests during the day.”
“They didn’t make them … bond?”
Maeva lets out a laugh. “A sigilmarked voluntarily taking a vampire bond? They would never.”
I swallow. “Of course they wouldn’t. Because that would be stupid.” I resist the urge to slap my hand to the invisible mark on my own neck.
Kaeso slowly turns his head, pinning the gossiping sigilmarked across the hall with a glare. He can probably hear every word they’re saying.
I wince. He can probably hear every word we’re saying as well.
“What happened to the emissaries?” I whisper.
“Dead. The emperor didn’t even turn it into a spectacle. He had them all turned by the vampires they worked for, and then ordered their bodies burned.”
I suck in a sharp breath, and Kaeso slices a glare in our direction. Maeva’s cheeks turn pink, and she wanders away to murmur to Brenin.
“Quiet,” Nyrant calls. “Groups are already assigned, and you’ll find your guardants waiting in your assigned area.”
Leon stands near the back of the hall, talking to Albion and another guardant near the gladians with bronze sigils.